By Dalia Díaz
A week ago, workers from the Department of Public Works cleared a large area along the Merrimack River which had become home to many homeless individuals. Some of them had been thrown out of other areas of the city and for the past year, they seemed to have some peace in a section that was not visible from anywhere.
Since it was across the street from House of Mercy on Bay State St., I decided to stop by and see how they had been affected. Instead, I found Roger Farah furious and disgusted. “They had no business clearing private property,” he told me. “I pay taxes on that land and allowed them to set up their tents there away from everyone.”
Immediately, the lot of land on Oak St. belonging to District B Councilor Estela Reyes came to mind. Even though it is private property, the city cleans it whenever the bushes are tall enough for addicts to hide behind. I started making calls to find out who ordered it, and noticed that workers had no idea – they go where they are told to go, period. They didn’t even know it was private property.
At that time, the name of the Homelessness Initiatives Coordinator Sandy Guerrier came up and tried calling her leaving a couple of telephone messages.
Meanwhile, walking back the order of those two days of cleanup, I talked to Brian Peña, Water Commissioner and Acting DPW Director and Lance Hamel, Streets and Parks Supervisor to find out more details. They told me it was a team effort involving Lieutenant Jay Cerullo and Ms. Guerrier.
After continuing calls, Ms. Guerrier finally answered the telephone. When I asked for a few minutes of her time to meet and discuss that situation she responded, “You have to get authorization from Vilma.” Vilma Martínez Dominguez is the Community Development Director. I left two messages during the week asking for “authorization” to speak with Sandy and my calls were never returned.
Lt. Cerullo did call me back and filled in the details such as the interest from the police department to prevent other deaths in that isolated area. Since the beginning of this year, there have been two overdoses which is the motivation to take action. He gave me the information I was looking for but also increased my need to speak with Ms. Guerrier.
I wanted to ask her the reason for her orchestrating the removal of homeless people from many areas in the city (Bay State St., Merrimack St., and this week on the grounds of SERVPRO on Manchester St.)
According to her job description, these are her duties:
“…focused on ending and preventing homelessness, particularly among those living in encampments and temporary shelters. The coordination will focus on health, income, employment, and housing.
“Establish and maintain productive, professional working relationships with community leaders, elected officials, City staff and other agencies. Create partnerships with private market landlords and property owners. Apply sound creative problem solving techniques to resolve difficult program issues and challenges; and create innovative and successful programs and services which integrate best practices related to ending homelessness.
“Promote and implement the “Housing First” method for ending homelessness — permanent housing opportunities matched with the right level of services – as based on research and practices published by the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness. Participate on committees, task forces, and coalitions related to preventing and ending homelessness. Represent the city in regional or statewide forums.
“Assist in connecting homeless or at-risk individuals with an array of resources, including but not limited to SSI/SSDI, legal services, credit repair, job skills training, health insurance and health care.”
Having read that, wouldn’t you want to see some of those reports? Has she arranged for any “housing” services or employment for them? I know that several local agencies have been meeting on this topic. I believe that it turns into paperwork and record-keeping of meetings because I’ve never heard from any of those organizations as having accomplished anything for the homeless.
If they are having medical attention now it’s because House of Mercy arranged for Greater Lawrence Family Health Center’s mobile unit to visit them on Mondays and tend to their medical needs. Roger Farah and his volunteer team have found housing and jobs for many of them. He has told me of the many success stories they gathered.
It is not that I have a soft heart for the homeless. It is a huge problem all over the country and no one seems to know what to do with them. The City of Lawrence knows what the needs are and created a position to get it done but is turning into more meetings than anything else. Why is so difficult to copy what House of Mercy has done so successfully?
Is Sandy Guerrier’s job just an excuse to pretend the City is doing something? If they don’t like what they are reading, their silence is to blame; I have to go with what I have.
